Death Eaters in Daigon Alley - 4

Hermione instinctively straightened her wig, rolling some of the hair between her fingers, absently noting how different it felt from her own hair. Her heart thudded in her chest now that she didn't have a specific task to do.

"It's going to be all right, Shannon," Hermione said, hoping it was true. "Help is on the way."

Shannon sniffed. "Where are Fred and George?" she asked tremulously.

Hermione's eyes drifted to the door, and she had to take a deep breath to control her own rising panic. "They went to see if they could help."

"Why?" Shannon moaned. "Those are his followers down there. They'll be killed."

"They can handle themselves. They've done this before," Hermione said firmly. Something about Shannon's terror settled Hermione's nerves. She could handle this. She had to keep Shannon calm and that would help her remain calm, as well.

"But what if You-Know-Who is there, too?" Shannon asked, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head.

Hermione bit her lip, praying that wasn't true. They weren't ready. They needed more time. There was still one more Horcrux to find, and Hermione still hadn't completely worked out her plan to save Harry.

She was close, but she wasn't there yet. The hardest part would be getting Harry to agree to it, but she thought Ginny might be the better choice to do that. Although she hated to admit it, Hermione knew Harry tended to listen to Ginny more than he did to her. It irritated the older Gryffindor to no end, but that's the way it was. Still, if Voldemort was among the Death Eaters attacking, all her careful plans might be for naught. They weren't ready.

Hermione's thoughts turned toward Ron. They'd been bickering all morning and hadn't really settled anything when he'd left with the others. She'd been angry over the way he'd treated Harry that morning. He really could be such an insufferable prat sometimes. He meant well, though. He was only trying to protect his sister. His infuriatingly male brain simply hadn't caught on to the fact that Ginny neither needed nor wanted his protection.

Hermione had noticed the hurt that had flashed in Harry's eyes, even if Ron hadn't. She knew Ginny had seen it, too. Ron might have obliviously stomped all over Harry's feelings that morning, but if it came down to it this afternoon, Ron would give his life for Harry. Hermione knew it, and it terrified her. She had to find a way for both her boys to come out of this – whole and intact – no matter what she had to do.

Another blast shook the shop, knocking various items off the shelves and sending them crashing to the floor. Hermione grabbed onto the fireplace in the back of the shop to steady herself.

Shannon screamed and began to lunge for the door, but Hermione grabbed her arm, stopping her. "We're safer in here," she hissed.

The sound of the door at the front of the shop opening caused both girls to freeze. They stared at one another warily, clutching each other's arms.

"Lookee, lookee at all the toys," a sinister, singsong voice sounded at the front of the shop. "Is anybody home? Come out, come out wherever you are."

Hermione slapped her hand over Shannon's mouth before the girl could scream. The shop was no longer safer than the street.

*~*~*

Ron stood with his brothers and watched as Harry and Ginny climbed the fire escape to the rooftop. He could see Mad-Eye Moody shouting something to them, but the noise from the battle drowned his words. After the Order had arrived, Bill led Ron and the twins through a door in the building opposite the one Harry was now climbing, and they'd remerged onto the street.